Shelter advocates rally in Toronto on National Housing Day in November 2015.

Up until the end of last year, homeless women in Toronto had very few options when it came to finding a safe, warm place to spend the night. If they didn’t get a bed at a shelter, they would likely have to stay out on the streets. But that changed in November. Two drop-in centres were granted the resources needed to operate 24-hours a day. Fred Victor (67 Adelaide East) and Sistering (962 Bloor West) provide women with access to food, clothing, toiletries, as well as showers and safe places to rest around the clock, everyday of the year.

“Our drop-in is low-barrier, meaning if someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can still come in,” Patricia O’Connell, the executive director for Sistering, says. “We have minimal rules, so if someone comes in, they can leave and come back if they want to. We do everything we can to keep people in here, but we don’t have any beds so people sleep on the floor.”

O’Connell says she’d like to see a shelter with a similar level of rules open up because tough restrictions on substances keep many people out in the cold. Public pressure from housing advocates is what convinced the city to extend the opening times at Sistering and Fred Victor in the first place. In 2013, a homeless woman was assaulted twice in one night while sleeping in a doorway near Dundas and Sherbourne.

“The shelters are always 99 per cent full, so there are a lot of women who are homeless or sex workers, and there was no place for them to be safe,” adds O’Connell.

To help Sistering continue to provide free services, which include meals and snacks, laundry facilities, ESL classes, health and wellbeing, harm reduction and more, they’re hosting a fundraiser on February 24. Rock & Brew 4 Sistering takes place at Linsmore Tavern on the Danforth and features live music, a raffle and auction. O’Connell says it’s the first event of its kind for Sistering and an attempt to reach out to Millenial allies.

“Supporters of Sistering tend to be a little more on the mature side and we really want to make young people in their 20s and 30s aware and interested in the work that we do,” she explains. “Maybe once they’re in their own lives able to support organizations, they’ll think of us.”

Tickets are $10 in advance (and can be purchased online) and $15 at the door, and 100 per cent of proceeds will be donated. For people who can’t make it to the event, Sistering accepts monetary donations as well as unused clothing and toiletries year-round. People can also donate their time, helping out in the kitchen or leading a workshop or program.

“There’s lots of opportunities to volunteer. We provide ESL classes, weaving, sewing, knitting, so if anyone has a skill they’d like to share, we would love to talk to them,” O’Connell says. “It’s a really wonderful supportive place for women. The women that come here, even though they have a lot going against them, they participate in activities and carry on their lives.”

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Michelle covers stories related to community and culture, with an interest in millennials, race, gender, mental health and electronic music. In her spare time, she loves riding her bike, trying new restaurants and managing her cat's Instagram account